This Quiet Southern California City Is Hiding In Plain Sight
It is hard to believe one town can pack in citrus groves, European estates, and a free summer music festival all in one place. When you add a Thai food scene so authentic it rivals Bangkok, the whole combination feels unlikely. However, it is very real: this is Redlands, California. Just an hour from Los Angeles, this community is surrounded by the San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary and the San Bernardino National Forest, making it a dream for outdoor recreation. And we are just getting started! Let's head out and tour the best destinations in Redlands.
The Great Outdoors
Believe it or not, the Redlands Park Division oversees an impressive network of 18 parks that, together, total 253 acres of land! As a result, you will likely find that a park or green space is never far from you in town. Caroline Park is a great launching point for your outdoor recreation, featuring a botanical nature garden and several habitats, including Coastal Sage Scrubhabitat and woodlands. There is also an overlook terrace on the premises that offers a spectacular, 180-degree view of the surrounding mountains. Prospect Park is just a five-minute drive from Carolina Park, covering a little over 11 acres with trails and picnic areas, as well as an outdoor amphitheater that hosts events like the annual Redlands Summer Theater Festival.
If you head slightly outside of town, you will find some beautiful nature sanctuaries and forests to explore, as well. The San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary, for example, is on the southern edge of Redlands and has three habitats to see: hillside chaparral, grasslands, and a riparian zone with a year-round stream. There are several trails that visitors can hike on, as well as a pond with benches and a picnic area. Raptors, migrating waterfowl, wetland birds, amphibians, and fish all frequent the pond. Travelers can also drive a little further out to the San Bernardino National Forest, a massive urban forest with over 300 miles of hiking trails that wind through alpine peaks and desert floors.
Farms & Citrus Groves
If you love oranges or grapefruit, this next section is for you. There are hundreds of acres of citrus groves throughout Redlands, with travelers able to visit certain farms. Old Grove Orange is doing great work in the area, bringing together more than 30 small growers who collectively represent over five generations of farming, while also involving local students in the agricultural process. This farm occasionally opens to the public for seasonal events, like farm tours, U-pick bouquets, all-you-can-eat blackberry days, and more.
Traveling about a half hour southwest, travelers can plan a day at California Citrus State Historic Park, which sits in the neighboring city of Riverside. Open between October and March, this park is a living museum, preserving the history and significance of the state’s citrus industry. It features groves of citrus trees, interpretive displays, and historic buildings. You can also sign up for a free guided tour, which is offered between Friday and Sunday each week.
Art, Music & History
Redlands treats art as something meant to be accessible to all. That philosophy is reflected in its distinction as host of the longest continuously running free summer music festival: The Redlands Bowl. Every Tuesday and Friday evening in the summer, this festival attracts thousands of attendees with its world-class performances. Past performers have included John Jorgenson, Angel Blue, Isaac Stern, John Raitt, and Marilyn Horne, to name just a few.
Travelers who appreciate fine architecture should also visit the Kimberly Crest House & Gardens, a 1897 French chateau with Italian gardens. Some of the details you can see as you tour the property include iconic stairways, fountains, ponds, and waterfalls. There are some interesting museums in town, as well, such as the Historical Glass Museum, which is open on weekend afternoons, showcasing six rooms of glass with collections of Depression, Elegant, Mid-Century Modern, Carnival, Early American Pattern Glass, and Brilliant Cut to view.
More Than Just Citrus
Redlands has a diverse food scene, ranging from cozy coffee shops to Irish pubs and Thai restaurants. Slow Bloom Coffee is a wonderful place to start your morning, a worker-owned cooperative that serves a wide variety of beverages like specialty coffees, espresso, pourover, matcha, and tea. For lunch, dinner, or drinks, you can dine at The Three Stags Irish Pub, which serves pub classics like shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, steak and Guinness pie, and Irish stout stew. Aroi Mak Mak, meanwhile, serves some of the best Thai food in town, using farm-to-table ingredients to authentically recreate the Thai street food scene. For dessert, stop by Sugar Bloom Cakery & Coffee, where you can enjoy cookies, cakes, brownies, macarons, and more.
A Town To Have On Your Radar
If Redlands wasn’t on your radar before, you can probably see why it should be. You have endless options for hiking, along with plenty to do in town between the museums, music festivals, coffee shops, and Irish pubs. And, of course, the citrus here will probably be the best you have had in years. By the time you leave, you’ll have a whole new perspective on these smaller Southern California destinations.
